CELEBRATION TIME – Family members, including wife Sara and kids Ben and Emma, and friends cheer as Brian Mannal announces his victory against incumbent Demetrius Atsalis in the race for the 2nd Barnstable State Representative seat.

Will continue to “reach out to voters”

Shortly after Brian Mannal arrived at Gringo’s Mexican Restaurant in Hyannis on Sept. 6, he was told he had a phone call on the eatery’s main line. A few minutes later, a stunned-looking Mannal appeared in the doorway.

“We won,” he announced to the intimate crowd of family and friends.

For a split second all was silent; then the cheering began as Mannal repeated himself several times for good measure.

The candidate for 2nd Barnstable State Representative had just defeated 14-year incumbent Demetrius Atsalis. The phone call had been Atsalis conceding the race and offering congratulations to a surprised Mannal.

“I didn’t even write a victory speech,” Mannal admitted.

After an occasionally scrappy campaign, Mannal emerged the victor, a win he’s thrilled with and still wrapping his head around.

“I’m still adjusting to the notion, but I have to say I’m pleased with the outcome,” Mannal said during a Sept. 10 phone interview. “I’m still very humbled by the fact that voters came out and supported me.”

The winning moment, Mannal said, was singular.

As news of his win spread, folks driving past the restaurant on Main Street honked their horns, waved and shouted congratulations. Barnstable Police Officer Brendan Burchell pulled up in his cruiser to shake Mannal’s hand.

“It was democracy in action,” he said of the primary. “I don’t know that I’ll ever have that experience again. It’s extremely humbling.”

Mannal said that after catching up with his law practice, he plans to reinvest himself in his quest to become State Rep, and will resume his practice of connecting with his future constituents.

“I’m going to continue to campaign and reach out to voters, and try to get a jumpstart on the next legislative session,” Mannal said.

He will also meet with a number of the incumbent elected officials in the area to discuss various projects. One close to Mannal’s heart is creating a safer passageway for pedestrians along Route 28 near the Cape Cod Mall.

“One of the things I would like to accomplish and will definitely be pushing for is some sort of walkway on Route 28,” Mannal said. “Whether it’s an overpass or an underpass, better lighting or rumble strips, something needs to happen there. People have died.”

Mannal said that actively campaigning was a positive experience overall, and motivated him to stretch his limits.

“Doing some things that were related to the campaign were really pushing the boundaries of my comfort zone,” Mannal said.

Mannal spoke about the Hyannis Fourth of July parade in which he walked and also found himself playfully challenged to hop on a unicycle by a parade clown.

According to Mannal, the two talked briefly about Mannal’s previous experience riding the one-wheeled cycle, prompting an invite to ride.

“How often do you get challenged by a clown unicyclist in the middle of a parade?” Mannal queried. “So I grabbed the unicycle, rode 15 feet, nearly fell on my face, came up and the crowd went wild. That was my favorite part of the parade.”

While politics will provide another dimension of excitement, Mannal is looking forward to it while at the same time doing his best to remain grounded.

“I’m trying to do my best to not let it get ahead of me,” Mannal said. “I want to put the emphasis here on public service. That means getting down in the trenches and doing the work.”